Switch



H. C. FORD Oct. 30, 1934.

SWITCH Original Filed July 26. 1928 INVENTOR Jfiznnibal Ford A TTORNE YS Patented Oct. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES SWITCH Hannibal C. Ford, Jamaica, N. Y., assignor to Ford Instrument Company, 1110., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application July 26, 1928, Serial No.

295,437. Divided and this application September 24, 1931, Serial No. 564,738

11 Claims.

This application which is a division of my application Serial Number 295,437, filed July 26th, 1928, for Fire control apparatus and method relates to an improvement in electrical switches of the quick acting or snap type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a snap or quick acting electrical switch mechanism having an element which is capable of being moved through a plurality of operative positions in either direction of a sequence of positions by a means, the actuation and control of which, may if desired be efiected at a point remote from the location of the switch mechanism.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a snap or quick acting switch mechanism of this type in which the movable element can be moved from one position to the adjoining position on either side of it without going through the rest of the positions of the normal sequence of positions of the mechanism, the motion of the mechanism in going from one position to another being substantially instantaneous. The mechanism is also so constructed that it is locked against movement until the time the substantially instantaneous movement takes place and when such instantaneous change of position has taken place it is locked in the new position until the time of the next operation.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in perspective.

As shown in the drawing the switch mechanism is actuated and controlled by means of a gear 1 adapted to be driven by any suitable power supply means, not shown, which may be adjacent to the mechanism or located at a remote point and operatively connected to the gear by suitable power transmission mechanism. The gear 1 is mounted for rotation on a stud 2 which is supported on a suitable base 3. The gear 1 is provided with a sleeve 4 onthe lower end. of which is a pinion 5, which in turn is in mesh with a gear 6. The last named gear .is loosely mounted on another stud 7 and is provided on its under side with a pair of pins 8 and 9. The stud '7 is fixed at its lower end to base 3. Spaced below the gear 6 and also loosely mounted on the stud 7is a mutilated gear 10 consisting of a disc provided with two depending gear teeth 11 and 12. between which there is a single tooth notch.

Coacting'with the mutilated gear 10 is a pin ion- 13 having an upper portion 14 which is provided with four teeth and a lower portion 15 with four additional teeth. Its co-action .withthe mutilated gear 10 will be referred to hereinafter. The disc of the mutilated gear 19 is also provided with a pair of pins 16 and 17, which are correspondingly to the pins 8 and 9 that are attached to the gear 6. The axes of upper pins 8 and 9 are coincident with the axes of the lower pins 16 and 17. Interposecl between the upper gear 6 and the lower gear 10 is a C-shaped spring 18, which is wide enough to overlap each of the upper pins 8 and 9' and the corresponding lower pins 16 and 17, the ends of the spring 18 being curled about said pins. In being curled, a space is left between the main body of the spring and its turned over terminals for reasons to be explained later.

Assuming that the pinion 5 rotates the gear 6 in a counter-clockwise direction, the upper pair of pins 8 and 9 will be carried by the gear 6. The pin 8 of the upper gear 6 pulls against the curled end of spring 18 drawing the spring and pin 17 and accordingly the mutilated gear 10 until one side of the tooth 12 that extends below the disc of the gear 10 engages one of the eight teeth 15 of the pinion 13 when the lower gear 10 will be restrained from turning. This is for the reason that the pinion 13 is on the shaft 19 which at its upper end carries a star wheel 20 which is provided with four sockets into one of which a roller 21 is ordinarily entered. The roller 21 is mounted in one end 22 of a bell crank lever 23 which is pivoted on pin 24 also fixed to frame 3. The bell crank lever 23 has a hock-shaped arm 25 having an extension 26 between bifurcated portions of which a pin 27 is mounted. Hooked over the pin 27 is a wire 28 which extends to and is part of a coiled spring 29, the other end of which is anchored to a post 30. The direction of pull of the spring and the wire 28 is such as to throw the roller 21 into engagement with one socket of the star wheel 20, whereby the engagement between the lower teeth 15 of the pinion 13 with the tooth 12 of the mutilated gear 10 deters rotation of the latter gear.

As the gear 10 is unable to turn counterclockwise with the upper gear 6 its pins 16 and 17 also remain stationary. As a consequence, the lower left hand portion of the C-shaped spring 18 moves away from the lower pin 16. Simultaneously the lower right hand portion of the C-shaped spring 18 is unable to pass the now stationary lower pin 17. As a result of these conditions, the left hand end of the c-shaped spring 18 is moved in a counterclockwise direction by the pin 8, while its right hand end is held stationary, there being a consequent storage of energy in the spring.

As the upper gear 6 continues to turn counterclockwise, and the stress imposed on the lower gear of the two-part pinion 13 seeks to turn that pinion, the shaft 19 on which it is mounted and the star wheel 20 tend to dislodge the roller 21. The arrangement is such, however, that as the roller is sought to be dislodged, which would result in an inward movement of the hooked end 25, an arcuate projection 31 fast on the upper surface of gear 6 comes into the path of the free hooked end of the arm 25 to prevent the inward movement of such arm and the retraction of the roller 21 from its socket in the star wheel. The projection 31 on top of gear 6 continues in its annular orbit, during which time energy is stored in the spring, until the projection 31 passes beyond the nose of the free 'endof the arm 25 of bell crank lever 23. Immediately the stored energy of the spring 18 isrelea'sed and the spring snaps to its expanded normal position. Because the projection 31 on-the upper surface of gear 6 is now removed from the path of the free end of arm 25, the arm may move inwardly to permit the roller 21 to move out of the socket it has been occupying in the star wheel 20. Since the gear 6 is in a gear train, its rate of movement is restricted, but that of the lower gear 10 is not materially restricted after the separation of the roller 21 from the star wheel. Accordingly the stored energy of the C-spring 18 is applied through the lower right hand portion of that spring to the pin 17 whereby that pin and the gear 10 are turned in a counter-clockwise direction with great rapidity, which results in a similar snaplike rotation of the two part integral gear 13 which is on the shaft 19, the shaft snapping rapidly around, and the design is such that its movement is through a quadrant of a circle.

In view of the spring 29 and the wire 28 be ing disposed to normally force the arm 25 of the bell crank 23 outwardly, there is an immediate return" of the roller 21 carried on the other arm 22 of the bell crank lever'into the next socket of the star wheel 20 which has been turned through'one-quarter of a circle to receive the roller. It will be understood that clockwise rotation of gear 1 will cause a similar sequence of operation but will drive shaft 19 in the opposite direction.

On shaft 19 is mounted the cylindrical element 33 which carries as an integral part the contact arm 36. Insulation sections 32 are placed in shaft 19 above and below element 33 to electrically isolate this element from similar cylindrical elements, not shown, which may be mounted on shaft 19, and the switch actuating mechanism just described. A contact brush contacting with the body of element 33 serves to electrically connect this element through electrical conductor 35 to one side of a source of electrical energy. Disposed in properly spaced relation i-njthe circular path of contact arm 33 are fixed contact members 3'7, 39, 41 and 43 V which are connected by electrical conductors 38,

4i), 42 and 44 to the proper terminals of the electrical apparatus which are to be controlled by the switch mechanism. The switch actuating. mechanism just described by rotating shaft 19 a quadrant of a'circle at a time will carry contact arm36 from one fixed contact arm to another in each motion. Since the movement mechanism of the invention but it is of course obviousthatw the number of contacts may be diminished or increased as desired and that the mechanism will work equally well provided pinion 13 and star wheel 20 are modified accordingly. It is also obvious that the cylindrical member .33 may be provided with more than one contact arm 36 and that thesearms may be spaced from each other in any desired manner.

Althcugh'the actuating device has been described in connection with an electrical switch it is obvious that it may be used wherever a periodic rotation of measured angular displacement is desired.

1. In a quick-acting"positioning mechanism, a rotatable member movable in accordance with desired angular positions, a second rotatable member, a yielding driving connection between said members, a positioning element rotatable into a plurality of positions of retention, and controlling means co-acting with the'first named member and said element to restrain said sec ond named member to effect relative movement between said members tostore energy in said connection and operable to release said second named member, the latter'thereupon actuating said positioning element to a desiredflangular position of retention. r I

2. In a quick-acting positioning mechanism, ,a rotatable member movable in accordance with desired angular positiona a second rotatable member, a yielding driving'connection between said members, a rotary positioning elementheld against rotation by a portion of said second member and'rotatable-by another portion there of, and controlling means co-acting' with the first named memberand said element to prevent the element-operating portion of said sec- .ond member from actuating said element and to.

effect relative movement of said members to store energy in said connection, movement of said first member thereafter releasing said second member to operate said element to a desired the projections on one member to pull. on one end of the spring and a projection on the :other member to hold the other end of thespring against displacement, thereby storing energy in the spring, means to release the last named member, and a' positioning element rapidly driven by this member upon its release.

4. In a quick-acting positioning mechanism, a member rotatable in .accordancewith desired. angular positions, a second rotatable member, a yielding driving connection between ,saidmembers, a rotary positioning element-held, against rotation by'a portion of said secondinember and rotatable by another portionthereof, and

.controlling'means comprising yielding positionaccentuatingmeans for said element and a de tent adapted to co-act with said first named member and accentuating means to prevent the operating portion of said second member from actuating said element thereby storing energy in said connection, said detent thereafter ceasing to co-act with said first named member, the operating portion of said second member thereupon rapidly actuating said element to a predetermined position.

5. In a quick-acting positioning mechanism, a member rotatable in accordance with desired angular positions, a second rotatable member, energy-storing means combined with said members adapted to drive said second member, a rotary positioning element, an impelling device therefor combined therewith operable by said second member and forming with the latter locking means releasable as said impelling device is related to said second member for operation thereby and other locking means under the control of said first member for locking said impelling device when it is related to said second member for operation until energy is stored in said storing means, said second named locking means becoming released thereafter and said second member thereupon rapidly operating said impelling device and element.

6. In a quick-acting positioning mechanism, a rotatable power-actuated member operable in either of opposite directions in accordance with desired angular positions and having an obstruction rigid therewith, a second rotatable member, energy-storing means combined with said members adapted to drive said second mem her, a rotary positioning element held against rotation by a portion of said second member and adapted to be rotatively driven by another portion thereof, a position-accentuating device rigid with said positioning element and provided with a plurality of sockets, an oscillatory member having a plurality of arms one arm being provided with a terminal for co-action with said sockets, means normally urging said oscillatory member to engage said terminal with one of said sockets, said obstruction co-acting with another of said arms to maintain said terminal, sooketed device, positioning element and second member stationary during certain rotative movement of said first named member to thereby store energy in said energy storing means, said obstruction subsequently releasing said last named arm, whereupon said second member actuates said positioning element proportionately to the operation of said first named member, said terminal engaging said socketed device to hold said positioning element in a position determined by the operation of said first named member.

'7. In a quick-acting positioning mechanism, an operable member, unitary locking and actuating means, energy-storing means operable by relative displacement of said member and means, a rotary positioning element adapted to be alternately locked and actuated by said unitary locking and actuating means, and means operable to render said energy-storing means effective and to govern the actuation of said positioning element.

8. A quick-acting positioning mechanism comprising a driven gear and a disc-like member revoluble about a common axis, said member having a toothed portion, similarly spaced pins on said gear and member, those in the former extending toward those on the latter in axially aligned pairs, 2. spring having ends normally engaging pairs of axially aligned pins, a contact-actuating gear having teeth of different form in different portions, those of one portion co-acting with an untoothed peripheral portion of said disc-like member to hold said contact-actuating gear from turning and the teeth of the other portion being intermittently actuated by the toothed portion of said disc-like member, and means coacting with said contactactuating gear to effect the storing of energy by said sprin 9. A quick-acting positioning mechanism comprising a driven gear and a disc-like memher having a partially plain periphery and a toothed portion, energy storing means operable by relative displacement of said gear and mem ber, a rotary positioning element, a plural gear connected with said positioning element and having portions provided with different numbers of teeth, those of one portion co-acting with the plain peripheral portion of said member to hold the plural gear against rotating and those of another portion being adapted to be intermittently actuated by the toothed portion of said member, a multiple socket formation rigid with said plural gear, an obstruction on the first named gear, and a device urged into the socket formation to hold the plural gear from turning but adapted to be expelled by said gear, another portion of said device temporarily coacting with said obstruction to prevent such expulsion until said energy storing means has stored sufficient energy to rapidly propel the plural gear and positioning element.

10. In a quick-acting positioning mechanism for use with a switch having a plurality of fixed contact members and a rotatable contact memer, the combination of a rotatable member provided with a stop and movable in either of opposite directions in accordance with the desired engagement of the rotatable and fixed contact members of the switch, a second rotatable member having toothed and untoothed peripheral portions, energy-storing means connecting said members adapted to drive said second member, an actuating gear for governing the rotatable switch contact member adapted to co-act with said untoothed and toothed portions of said second member to be respectively locked and actuated thereby, and control means cooperative with said actuating gear and stop to prevent actuation of the former to effect relative movement of said members to store energy in said energy-storing means, and also adapted to become irrelated to said stop thereby releasing said second member to rapidly drive said actuating gear, said control means including means to selectively position said actuating gear in accordance with the positions of engagement of the rotatable switch contact with the first switch contact members.

11. In a mechanism of the type described a rotatably mounted driving member, a rotatably mounted driven member, resilient means connecting the driving and driven members and motion limiting mechanism including rotatably mounted means cooperating with the driven member, and means cooperating with said driving member and said rotatably mounted means for restraining movement of the driven member during predetermined angular movement of the driving member.

HANNIBAL C. FORD. 

